


Merry Christmas, Mr. Malfoy

by safewordisdevilsnare



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-17 20:01:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13084326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/safewordisdevilsnare/pseuds/safewordisdevilsnare
Summary: “People do crazy things when they’re in love, and honey, you’re not an exemption.”My piece for Dramione's Secret Santa 2017Prompt #7 An invitation, champagne, glitter, "I didn't realize you're Jewish."





	Merry Christmas, Mr. Malfoy

**Author's Note:**

> This November - December has been a whole lot crazy and my muse is not the cooperative type but i hope, prompter, that you'll still enjoy this. 
> 
> Unbeta-d, unfortunately. 
> 
> Happy Christmas!

Hermione clutched the invitation in her hand.  
  
It’s been two years.  
  
Two long years of having no contact with them, and now just a few short weeks before Christmas, an invitation came in the mail for this year’s annual Lovegood Charity Ball. The Lovegoods held balls yearly inviting friends, family and the who’s who in their little city. She had received a couple of them – all routed to her address in Australia – during her time away from her friends. She never answered, never showed up. This time though, the urge to finally give in to her desire to see the people she held dear in her life was so strong.  
  
Biting her lip in anxiousness, she thought of the possibilities that could happen – who she was going to see if she decides to go.  
  
‘It does not matter. Even if he’s there, you can do this. You can face him head-on this time. No more excuses Hermione.’ With that thought in mind, she quickly penned the letter lest she begs off again.  
  
_My Dearest Luna,_  
  
_I hope this letter finds you well. I apologize for my absence for the past two years. I have told you all I can before I left..but I know it was not an excuse to shut you or everyone out of my life. It was hard. Harder than I could have ever imagined. The only thing that left was to leave or face the embarrassment of my actions. Coward that I am, I chose the easy way out. I promise that once I show up in the ball on the fortnight, I would not leave anymore._  
  
_I cannot wait to spend Christmas with you all. I have missed you._  
  
_All my love,_  
 _Hermione_

 

\---

  
  
The freezing temperature welcomed her back to London – so different from Perth, yet no matter how cold, dark and dreary it was, she cannot help but feel happy to be home. The first order of business was to acquire a new dress for the party. She had a lot, but the thought of coming back to the circle of friends she had left so abruptly warrants a change of wardrobe.

Grabbing her mobile, she dialled Lavender’s number, hoping that this little shopping trip and her arrival would not spread like wildfire right away. Hermione knew it was unlikely, as Lavender, sweet though she was, loved to gossip. Her arrival would be a big news, she hoped a little bribing would work, she had bolstered enough courage to go home but she still needs time to get ready.

  
\---

  
  
“Ugh Hermione, drop that monstrous frock. That would look awful on you!” Lavender snatched the pink chiffon dress she removed from the rack. “Here, try this instead.” She shoved a dress into her arms and excitedly pushed her to one of the changing rooms. The colour caught her eye and seeing as it’s been three hours of the non-stop gown browsing to no avail, she finally caved. Lavender truly had a knack for picking dresses. It was a burgundy gown in the softest velvet. The colour complemented her pale skin. The sweetheart neckline accentuated her bosom and the back dipped into a vee, showing an ample amount of skin but ends a few inches above her buttocks – an acceptable dress for their crowd, but still a sexy one. She opened the curtain to show Lav, and the answering shriek was all she needed to confirm that this was, indeed the dress.

\---

  
  
“You know you didn’t have to leave.” Lavender sipped her tea while occupying a space in her shaggy rug than her sofa. It was a habit since they were kids and like most things, Lav didn’t change. An inquisitive brow rose when she deigned to answer.  
  
Hermione heaved a sigh, slouching on her seat. This talk was inevitable, she knew but remembering things still stung and underneath her now strong facade was a woman licking her wounded pride. “I know that. But it’s not that easy to explain, everything just happened so fast and I felt like I was making progress and I..” she choked on her breath, willing the hot tears to stop from falling. “I was stupid, I know that now. I shouldn’t have done that.”

Lavender carefully placed her cup on the table and scooted beside her on the couch. A few minutes later, she saw the face of her friend hovering above her, eyes conveying her understanding. “People do crazy things when they’re in love, and honey, you’re not an exemption.”  
  
Hermione was enveloped in a warm hug and the tears she had been fighting finally fell.  
  
“It was just not meant to be during that time. It might seem crazy - what you’ve done, but who cares? You’re hurt and you needed space.” She felt Lav squeeze her a little tighter, and her friend’s voice broke saying the next words. “We all understand Hermione. We love you.”  
  
She never thought she could cry harder.

\---

 

Lavender was snoozing in her guest room with copious amounts of alcohol. Tea, she said, was not enough for that kind of talk. In a way, she agreed. Leaving Chelsea wasn't something she had planned and in her haste to save face, she fled with well-placed letters to Luna and Lavender explaining why.

Her nightly routine out of the way, she slipped under the covers and wished to have a dreamless sleep.

It was all for naught.

_Hermione twirled in his arms, happy to finally be the one around him. It took a while but her patience paid off. She waited, oh how she did, she knew it was going to be perfect. Sure it might have caused years of heartaches but that's nothing compared to what was now almost within her grasp. Draco Malfoy, her childhood friend and forever love was now single, jilted by his fiancé of five years. This left him broken and almost irreparable. She used to think that too, but no, he wasn't, she was there for him through it all. Hermione made sure that whenever Draco needed a shoulder to cry on or to just vent and pour everything out, often in a drunken stupor, that she was there. Astoria Greengrass was vile as she was pretty. Hermione hated the fact that the love of her life, the one she waited for so long had been hurt, stripped down to his lowest by the mere slip of a girl. If he loved her, he needn't worry about being left behind. Draco was his world and she now wanted to make sure he knew it._

_Smiling up at him, she beamed when she saw him staring at her with that look in his eyes. Like he was anxious, nervous and didn't quite know what to say. Will he be confessing his feelings? She hoped he would. She held on to that hope for almost a year now after Tori left._

_Strengthening her resolve, Hermione held his hand and dragged him across the ballroom to the Lovegood’s balcony overlooking their gardens. It was a lovely sight this time of the year, with roses and calla lilies in bloom. She was anxious too, but she wanted to let him know that she's ready to take the next step. He had been leaving subtle clues - his actions - the way he was sweet to her lately was an awful dead giveaway about how he felt for her. His touch was never intimate but she knew he respected her and would probably never cross the threshold without her consent._

_She was bloody frustrated but she'll be damned if this night ends and he still wasn't hers. With that in mind, she began to talk but had to stop when they spoke in unison and laughed moments later._

_“You go first.” He said._

_“No, it's fine, you go.” She smiled coyly at him and nodded for him to continue._

_“If you're sure.” His voice took a serious tone and her heart skipped a beat. This was it. “Hermione I–”_

_“I love you. I love you so much Draco.” She covered her mouth, embarrassed that she wasn't able to help herself and uttered the words she had longed to say but looked at him with hopeful eyes – certain he was about to repeat everything too. What she saw however chilled her to the bone._

_His face was marred with worry and his eyes – god – his eyes were asking for an apology; for a rejection, she didn't expect she would be hearing from him._

_“Hermione - I’m sorry I -”_

_“Draco! I thought you had gone home! I was looking everywhere for you.”_

_A cold dread prickled down Hermione’s spine when she heard the familiar voice. It was the voice of a woman she had hoped she would never hear again. This was fast becoming a nightmare, each situation unfurling more horrifying than the last and she will be damned if she would stay to_

_"Tori, let's talk later. I need to speak to Hermione first." Draco said._

_"It is okay Draco, this can wait. I remember I had to check something with Luna. I will catch up with you later." She gave him a smile that did not quite reach her eyes. She would not cry. Not now. Not in front of the woman who has once again claimed the place that she wanted for herself - not in front of the man she just poured her emotions too. She walked briskly, ignoring Draco’s call._

_Her tears would come much, much later._

She woke with a start. It was the same dream - a nightmare that has plagued her for years. A painful reminder of how her friendship fell apart with Draco and how with it, she became estranged to her friends. She ran from it all before but she’s over hiding, it was time to face the life she left.

 

\---

 

“Ready to go?” Lav gave her a cheeky smile. “You are going to be the belle of the ball tonight, I am sure of it! Imagine if you went with that frock draped over your body. You should be thankful you have me.” She followed it up with a wink and they shared a laugh. Their little crying session broke the ice, and it is as if two years had not passed between them. Even though she was a bundle of nerves from all the possibilities that could happen in the ball, she was sure that with her friends around, everything will turn out alright.

They took her family's limo and arrived at the Lovegood’s residence a couple of minutes later. The place looked the same as it is with every ball. The garden hedges were lined with glittering lights illuminating the walkway and seasonal plants like poinsettias were on display. Traversing the path towards the house, Hermione came to a halt near the entrance and took a deep breath.

This is it, there was no going back.

Sensing her hesitation, Lavender held her hand and gave it a light squeeze. “Come on. The gang is excited to see you. Plus Ginny has a surprise you would not want to miss!”

Her confidence boosted, Hermione followed Lavender into the throng of people and was instantly met with cheerful yells from her friends. Luna, Harry, Ginny, and Ron came barreling towards her, enveloping her in a group hug. She felt her eyes sting from happiness. This was what she missed by being silly and pushing her friends. Enclosed in their warm embrace, she promised it would not happen again. There’s no leaving home.

“Guys, I can’t breathe.” Hermione groaned a few minutes later.

“Serves you right, you ninny! Never do that again. I swear I’ll tie your arse down if I have to!” Ginny said. It was followed by boisterous laughter. They spent over an hour hugging and catching up. They were eager to know what she did in Australia and she gladly shared everything, sans her mourning. No one asked and for that she was thankful. The surprise it turned out, was Ginny’s pregnancy. She was two months along and was

A couple of champagne glasses later, they have finally allowed her to mingle with the crowd. She bumped into Seamus who held and swayed her in time with the music. When it ended, he exaggeratedly bowed.

“I didn’t realise you’re Jewish?” She saw him wearing a yarmulke and just had to ask.

“Oh, I’m not. I had a hair accident in the lab..again. You know my propensity for pyrotechnics” He gave her a wink and continued on.

Oh, some things never do change.

She drank and danced the night away, all the nerves forgotten. When she got tired, she unknowingly walked right into the place where it happened and came face to face with the man she thought was not present in the party.

She hastily backtracked but stopped when she heard a silent plea for her to stay.

‘It has been two years Hermione. You can do this. It should be nothing now.”

She faced him and gave a tentative smile. “It has been a while Draco.”

“Two years.” He said accusingly.

“Yes.” She bit her lip, unsure why he was using that tone with her. “How have you been? How is..Astoria?”

He glared at her. “I wouldn’t know. I have not seen her for over a year. Probably still with her husband in America, I reckon.”

“H-husband?” She stuttered.

“She was engaged to be married when you saw her last time. If you waited like you said you would."

She heard the pain in his voice, it mirrored her own. She opened her mouth to speak but he beat her to it.

“There were a lot of things that I wanted to say that day Hermione. I spoke with Astoria for a few minutes and when I went out to find you, you were gone. I tried to look for you everywhere.” He closed his eyes and paused, seemingly controlling his temper. “I have asked our friends, but they do not have any idea where you were. Why did you do it, Hermione?”

“I was afraid!” She shouted. “I was afraid that you were back with her. How many times had it happened Draco?” She choked on her tears. “I was so scared that you’d throw my feelings back at me..because you had Astoria again. I'm sorry..I-"

The wind was knocked out of her lungs from her sudden impact with his body and she cried harder. He hugged her tightly against his chest, kissed her hair and shushed her crying. When her sobs quieted and she finally had the courage to look up, she saw that he too had tears in his eyes.

"Will you leave me again?" He asked.

Before she could answer, a resounding boom made them pause and look up as fireworks lit up the sky, signalling Christmas eve.

It was Christmas when she left him. She made a mistake by judging the situation without hearing his side but she's committed to never make the same mistake twice.

Her lips turned up, finally feeling happy after a long time as she looked at the man she loves.

"Never again. Happy Christmas Draco."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
  


 

 

 


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